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Standards Coalitions Formation and Market Structure in Network Industries

Author

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  • Nicholas Economides

    (Stern School of Business, New York University)

  • Andrzej Skrzypacz

    (GSB, Stanford University)

Abstract

We discuss the formation of technical standards platforms in industries with network externalities where firms are free to choose their degree of technical compatibility with competitors. In our model, firms choose affiliation to a technical standards coalition in the first stage of a game, and play an oligopoly game in the second stage. In adding itself to a technical standards coalition, a firm benefits from the network effects of the whole coalition, but also faces increased competition in the output market from other firms in the coalition. Also, the increase of the size of the coalition changes the competitive position of members of that coalition relative to other firms. We find that the extent and size of coalitions at equilibrium depends crucially on the degree of the intensity of network effects. When network effects are very strong, full compatibility prevails. When externalities are slightly weaker, two standards coalitions are formed, a singleton, and one with all remaining firms. On the other extreme, for very weak network effects, the equilibrium is total incompatibility, and for slightly more intense network effects, coalitions are of small size. We characterize a number of other equilibria for intermediate strengths of network externalities.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicholas Economides & Andrzej Skrzypacz, 2004. "Standards Coalitions Formation and Market Structure in Network Industries," Microeconomics 0407008, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpmi:0407008
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 31
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Kalyan Chatterjee & Bhaskar Dutia & Debraj Ray & Kunal Sengupta, 2013. "A Noncooperative Theory of Coalitional Bargaining," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Bargaining in the Shadow of the Market Selected Papers on Bilateral and Multilateral Bargaining, chapter 5, pages 97-111, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Ray, Debraj & Vohra, Rajiv, 1997. "Equilibrium Binding Agreements," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 30-78, March.
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    5. Francis Bloch, 1995. "Endogenous Structures of Association in Oligopolies," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 26(3), pages 537-556, Autumn.
    6. Bloch, Francis, 1996. "Sequential Formation of Coalitions in Games with Externalities and Fixed Payoff Division," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 90-123, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Attila Ambrus & Rossella Argenziano, 2004. "Network Markets and Consumers Coordination," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1481, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    2. Christ, Julian P. & Slowak, André P., 2009. "Why blu-ray vs. HD-DVD ist not VHS vs. Betamax: The co-evolution of standard-setting consortia," FZID Discussion Papers 05-2009, University of Hohenheim, Center for Research on Innovation and Services (FZID).
    3. Yu. Yatsenko & N. Hritonenko, 2007. "Network economics and optimal replacement of age-structured IT capital," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 65(3), pages 483-497, June.
    4. repec:hrv:faseco:4589709 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Attila Ambrus & Rosella Argenziano, 2004. "Network Markets and Consumer Coordination," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 0423, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    6. Attila Ambrus & Rossella Argenziano, 2009. "Asymmetric Networks in Two-Sided Markets," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 17-52, February.
    7. Dobrescu, Emilian, 2011. "Sectoral Structure and Economic Growth," Journal for Economic Forecasting, Institute for Economic Forecasting, vol. 0(3), pages 5-36, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    standards; coalition formation; network effects;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D4 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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